Petula Clark
★★★★ Splendido!
ACE. CD/DL
Over two discs, the Italian singles 1962 to 1970.
AT ONE point, Petula Clark had more success on mainland Europe than in the UK and almost gave up singing in her native tongue. Then Downtown hit. It’s easy to see why foreign audiences loved her so much: not only was her command of French, German, Spanish and Italian excellent, but she seemed less encumbered and more expressive singing in another language; see Ciao Ciao, the Italian take on Downtown. Perhaps it’s due to overfamiliarity with the original, but it’s somehow richer, more rewarding in Italian. As is Quelli Che Hanno Un Cuore (Anyone Who Had A Heart) in a soulful performance to rival Dionne’s. Her versions of original Italian songs also thrill, such as Invece No, which she performed at the San Remo song festival in 1965. Full of whirlwind drama, it places her in Mina territory.